


War and Peace

by BeStillMySlashyHeart



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-10 08:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19498624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/pseuds/BeStillMySlashyHeart
Summary: Saving Max involved way more Tolstoy than Michael had anticipatedOrLiz reads, Alex worries, and the pod squad saves Max





	War and Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Crashfest fic for @el_gilliath
> 
> Prompt One: I would do anything and go anywhere to save you 
> 
> Prompt Two: Reading out loud to someone else 
> 
> Prompt Three: Pod Squad reunion

“ _ Love hinders death. Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.” _

Liz’s voice was soft though it echoed through the empty cavern. She sat with her back pressed against the glowing pod, the inexplicable warmth of it seeping through her jacket. Between it and the blanket wrapped around her legs, she was comfortably toasty.

“Not you too.” 

Liz snapped her head up from the book at Michael’s voice. He ducked his head as he entered the cave, careful to keep his hat perched artfully on his head.

She raised an eyebrow in question. He only laughed, the sound less harsh than it had been in recent months. “I thought one of the upsides of Max being in the pod was that I wouldn’t have to put up with any more Russian literature.”

Liz laughed, a bit sheepish as she closed the copy of  _ War and Peace _ open in her lap. She shrugged. “Thought he might like to hear it. He loves Tolstoy.”

Michael nodded slowly. “He does.” He agreed. “But why did you start with the longest book ever?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “It’s not the longest book ever. And I didn’t start with it.”

Michael settled on the floor by his own pod. “Oh?”

She ducked her head. “It’s been months. I’ve gotten through one or two books.”

“How often do you come here to read to him?” Michael asked softly.

“As often as I can. Not as often as I’d like.” Liz shifted to look at Max. His eyes were closed and he seemed at peace. That and the knowledge that Isobel hadn’t been in any pain while she was in her pod gave her some measure of comfort. “I don’t want him to be alone.”

“We’re gonna get him out, Liz.”

“I know.” And she did. “I just wish we’d figure it out faster. I miss him,” she admitted quietly.

“I know.” 

She shifted to face Michael, her head leaning fully against the pod. “What are you doing here?”

He cracked a brief smile and shrugged a shoulder carelessly. “Didn’t want him to be alone.”

“We’re gonna get him out Michael. We’re going to get him out of this ridiculous pod and back to full health.” She assured him. “Whatever it takes.”

Michael’s face twitched with some unknown emotion. “Right.” His voice was dry. “Whatever it takes.”

\---

In the end, it was decidedly less graceful than either of them had hoped for. If pressed, Isobel would admit that she was hoping for a triumphant miracle complete with hugs and excited yells while Michael would never confess to hoping for an embrance of his own, his brother’s warm body wrapped in his arms as a solid indicator of his resurrection.

Unfortunately, the reality of the matter was that neither Isobel nor Michael were healers, though they’d been honing the ability, and bringing Max back took a lot out of them. So much, in fact, that both of them passed out in the process, barely able to cling to consciousness long enough to make sure that Max wasn’t going to die on them. 

“Michael!” Alex shouted, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. He hurried to his side as he and Isobel suddenly slumped onto the ground, Max limp between them.

Liz stepped over Isobel’s prone form to get to Max as he groaned. “Max?” Liz called softly as she cradled his face. Behind her, Maria and Rosa tended to Isobel while Jenna stepped up next to Alex to help him move Michael. When Max’s side was clear, Kyle settled next to him and quickly checked him over.

“He’s okay,” Kyle announced after a moment. There was an audible sigh of relief from everyone.

“Why isn’t he awake, then?” Liz asked, her hands still pressed to Max’s face.

Kyle shrugged and cast a worried look at Michael and Isobel. “They could just be worn out. That took a lot more power than any of them are used to, right? That’s what Michael said?” He shifted to give Michael a quick once-over. “Honestly, they just seem to be asleep. No signs of distress, no physical injuries. Just sleeping.”

“How long are they going to be out?” Maria asked as she shifted Isobel in her arms.

“I couldn’t say,” Kyle admitted. “I went to human medical school, remember?”

“We don’t know what exactly they did,” Alex chimed in, his face set in mission mode. The only indication that he was at all worried was the hand slowly carding through Michael’s curls. “It’s likely that they just overexerted themselves and need to sleep it off. When they wake up, we’ll probably need to have acetone on hand. Enough for all three of them.”

Rosa glanced between Isobel and Michael and Max. “But only the two of them actually did anything. Shouldn’t Max be fine? I was when he-”

“Max is the healer,” Liz answered her. “Michael and Isobel have been practicing but healing is still Max’s forte, plus he was super juiced up from Noah. He was probably able to heal you more than they could heal him.”

“Probably a good thing, honestly. If they’re out cold from doing this much, I don’t want to think what might have happened if they’d brought him back to 100% health.” Kyle stood up and put his hands on hips, looking between his three new patients. “We should get them out of here. We have no idea how long they’re going to be unconscious and they need proper rest. The cave isn’t going to cut it.”

Everyone murmured in assent and within moments were coordinating how to get the three siblings out to the cars. With only a few minor mishaps, the humans managed to get all three aliens safely back to Max’s and into proper beds to let them sleep it off. 

It was days before any of them so much as moved. Long enough that Liz and Alex started seriously considering taking them back to the pods. It was only Kyle’s assurance that they were perfectly healthy that stayed their hands.

Almost two days after pulling Max out of the pod, Liz sat in Max’s bed, his head pillowed on her lap as she brushed a hand through his hair, calm words on her tongue. She’d long lost track of what she was saying but she didn’t stop talking. For some reason it seemed important that he hear her voice, as if she was afraid that if she stopped, he’d never awake.

Max woke with a gasp, 43 hours after they’d brought him back. His body stiffened and spasmed.

“Max!” Liz shouted. “Max?” She tried when he didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at her, his eyes open but locked on the ceiling.

The bedroom door burst open as Kyle and Jenna came running in. Liz spared them only a glance before focusing on Max.

“Max? Can you hear me?” He’d stopped twitching and his eyes stayed open but other than that there was nothing. It was like he was a shell. “Max?” Her voice turned frantic.

“Liz, let me see him,” Kyle urged gently. When she didn’t move he looked at Jenna. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Liz’s waist and tugged her off of the bed so that Kyle could take her place. Liz fought her, arms outstretched for Max but Jenna’s grip was firm.

“He’s the doctor, Liz, let him help Max,” Jenna spoke softly into her ear. Somehow it registered enough for Liz to stop struggling. Her body was still tense and her eyes never left Max but she let Kyle do his job.

The door crashing back into the wall stole her attention a moment later. Michael looked like shit, there were no two words about it. While Max looked like he’d been sleeping peacefully, Michael looked like he was coming off the world’s worst bender.

Alex had an arm wrapped firmly around his waist and a hand braced on his chest but most of Michael’s weight was being held up by the door.

“Max,” he gasped out softly.

“Help me get him on the bed. He’s been calling for Max since he woke up a few minutes ago.”

Jenna let go of Liz and hurried over to help Alex while Kyle made room on the bed. Together, the three of them got Michael situated next to his brother. As soon as they made contact, both relaxed. Max moved for the first time since he’d awakened to shift closer to Michael and Michael’s color seemed to bounce back to normal.

The four humans stared at them as the two aliens closed their eyes, their breathing easing in sync.

“Where’s Isobel?” Alex asked, his eyes never leaving Michael.

As if on cue, there was a crash in the hallway. “A little help?” Rosa yelled. “She’s not as light as she looks.”

Jenna rolled her eyes and went to help while Kyle and Alex shifted Michael and Max to make room for a third body on the bed. A moment later, the four women practically fell through the doorway in a tangled heap of limbs. Carefully, they manipulated Isobel’s tall form onto the bed. 

“You two got her from the cave to the car but you couldn’t get her down the hall by yourselves?” Jenna asked Rosa and Maria with a laugh. Both women glared at her.

“Did she wake up?” Liz asked, her brow furrowed. Isobel was clearly unconscious.

“Yeah a few minutes ago,” Maria asked as she tucked a blanket over Isobel. “She woke up and called for Max a few times then she went all rigid and I couldn’t get her attention.”

“She was stiff as a board for a while,” Rosa added. “About halfway here she just flopped over.”

Huh. Liz eyed the three aliens as they curled around each other. Within a moment it was near impossible to tell where one of them began and another ended. 

“I guess we let them be?” Alex offered after a few minutes of the six of them standing awkwardly just watching them sleep.

Jenna scoffed and rolled her eyes as she walked out. “I think it’s time we break out Evans’ tequila.”

Rosa perked her head up. “You’ve known where the tequila was this whole time?” She hurried after Jenna, Kyle and Maria close behind.

Liz and Alex hesitated, both unwilling to just leave them alone. After a moment, Alex sighed. “This is stupid.” 

Liz watched as he left, still unable to tear herself away. She’d spent months without Max and now he was right there. How could she be anywhere else? Liz perched on the foot of the bed and tucked her feet under her. There were no chairs in Max’s room, though there was plenty of room, so she had to find a scrap of space on the crowded bed to call her own.

“You can’t be serious,” Kyle’s voice carried down the hallway. “Are you- okay, okay, fine!” 

A loud thud echoed through the house accompanied by more of Kyle’s grumbling and finally Liz’s curiosity got the best of her.

“What’s going on?” She asked as she stepped into the hallway.

She’s not sure what she expected but Kyle, Jenna, Rosa, and Alex maneuvering the leather loveseat from the living room down the narrow hallway to Max’s bedroom definitely wasn’t it.

“Move!” Rosa shouted over her shoulder as they got closer. Liz spun on her heel and fled back into the bedroom. A moment later Rosa and Kyle appeared with their end of the couch. 

“What the hell?” Liz gaped at them.

Kyle tried to shrug in response but his hands were obviously full. Next to him Rosa just rolled her eyes. “Over there,” Alex directed with a nod of his head towards the far side of the room. 

“I hope you know I’m not moving this back,” Rosa grunted as they set it down.

Alex fell back onto the couch with a wince. “Michael will take care of it,” he assured her.

“Plush or quilt?” Liz started at Maria’s voice. She turned to see her friend standing next to her, her arms laden with blankets.

“Plush,” she answered numbly. 

Maria nodded and rounded the bed to drop a few of the blankets onto the couch and Alex. Alex glared at her when a blanket bounced off his head but she just smiled and left with the others after ruffling his hair. Soon enough it was just Liz, Alex, and the sleeping trio. The whole process had taken less than five minutes and none of the sleepers had so much as stirred.

“Ok but seriously, what the hell?” Liz asked as she joined Alex on the couch.

Alex shrugged and unfolded a blanket, spreading it over the two of them. “I can’t keep standing for too long, my leg’s already killing me, and I don’t know how long they’re gonna be out this time so I thought we might as well be comfortable.”

Liz smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

Alex didn’t respond other than to lean down and rest his head on hers briefly. Together they sat and watched over their family. It was mostly boring as hell, the two using the time to catch up with each other.

At one point, Liz pulled out  _ War and Peace _ and flipped through the pages until she found where’d she left off on her last visit to see Max. Alex was half asleep when she started reading but jerked awake at the sound of her voice.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she apologized softly.

Alex shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. “It’s fine. It’s just- are you reading  _ Tolstoy _ ?”

Liz clutched the book defensively. “Max likes Tolstoy. And I like reading to him.”

The smile spread across his face and Liz furrowed her brow in consternation. “Don’t tease. I’m sure there’s something silly you do for Michael.”

“No comment,” Alex denied with a laugh. “And I’m not teasing. I just can’t wait to hear Michael’s reaction to you reading him Russian literature while he’s unconscious.”

Liz looked over at the bed, their current position offering a great view of Michael’s sleeping face. He looked so peaceful. She shot a wicked grin at Alex and settled back into the couch and reading anew, her voice now louder than it had been before.

Alex only laughed as he snuggled up next to her, content to let her voice lull him back to sleep.

It was almost a full day before there was any development. The others checked in on them every now and then, bringing them food when they got hungry but it was mostly just the two of them.

“Ow.”

Their heads jerked up in unison at Michael’s voice.

“Michael?” Alex asked as he shoved to his feet. He’d taken the prosthetic off hours before but the couch was close enough to the bed that he could lean over and grab a hold of it to steady himself. 

More shifting. “Why does your head hurt?” Michael asked, his voice rough with disuse. Alex and Liz exchanged bewildered looks. Alex gestured to the many bottles of acetone they’d stocked up on and Liz hurriedly passed them out to the three of them.

“Because you’re in it.” Isobel sounded far too cranky to have just woken up from a three day nap. She tried to sit up but fell back onto an elbow, one hand pressed against her head while she tried to open the acetone one handed. Liz reached over and opened the bottle for her.

“Why are we all in each other’s heads?” Liz’s face brightened at Max’s voice.

“Side effect.” Michael and Isobel responded in unison. All three groaned a moment later, Isobel and Michael quickly downing a good portion of their bottles.

“We had to join our powers to bring you back. All of them, including yours.” Michael explained. Again, Liz and Alex exchanged looks. They hadn’t told them about that part.

“It worked,” Isobel acknowledged. “But it left us all psychically linked.”

“Hence the headache from hell?” Max asked.

Isobel hummed in response. She finally pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed at her temples.

“Hell of a welcome home,” Max grumbled. Michael and Isobel both reached out and slapped him on the chest.

“You’re welcome asshole,” Isobel told him.

“What she said.”

“Max,” Liz finally breathed. 

Max’s head lifted off the bed instantly, his eyes wide open as he searched for her. “Liz?”

“Ugh, feelings,” Isobel complained as she stood up. Alex eyed her as she wobbled but she quickly steadied herself. Liz ignored her in favor of scrambling into her recently vacated spot and kissing Max.

“You okay?” Alex asked as Isobel shuffled past him.

“Right as rain,” she replied sarcastically. “Just need like three more bottles of acetone and several miles between all of us until the connection breaks.” She disappeared down the hallway. “Glad to have you back Max!” She yelled over her shoulder.

Michael and Max both winced. “Did she have to yell?” Michael whined.

“Yes!” Isobel yelled back, her voice blissfully fainter. 

Max hmphed and curled into Liz’s arms. Next to him, Michael tried to move away but fell off the edge of the bed. Alex smiled and slowly made his way over to that side.

“How you doin’, Cowboy?” He asked softly.

“Oh not fair,” Michael complained from his spot on the floor. “You can’t say that when my head is threatening to explode on me.” Alex grabbed another bottle from the dresser and passed it to him. Michael greedily sucked down half the bottle in one go.

“That tells me way too much about things I don’t want to know,” Max objected from the bed, his voice strained.

Michael screwed his face up in his brother’s direction and a moment later Max let out a pained groan.

“Ew no stop! I don’t need to see that!”

“There’s absolutely  _ nothing _ wrong with that view, I promise you.” Michael retorted as he staggered to his feet.

Alex blinked. “Are you mentally projecting images of us having sex to your brother?” He asked mildly.

Michael shrugged. 

“Please stop.” Michael pouted. “I don’t want Max to see me naked.”

A second later Max sighed in relief. “Thanks Alex.”

“Any time,” Alex told him wryly. He checked Michael over and decided that he was fit enough to leave. “Get me my canes will you?” 

A moment later, both of his canes bumped into his back. Alex let out a gentle laugh and grabbed hold of them, slowly easing away from the bed and steadying himself. When he felt secure enough to move, he checked on Max one more time before ushering Michael out of the room. Liz had Max well in hand, the only thing left to do was get some space between the siblings and give them some mental relief.

“Hey sleeping beauty!” Kyle called as they entered the living room. Michael flipped him off. “And already back to your usual charming self, I see.”

“Where’s Izzy?” Michael asked.

“Maria took her home,” Rosa told him. “She said she needed some space from you two to get rid of her headache?” She shrugged. “It didn’t really make sense but she was adamant that she get out of here so Maria drove her.”

“Yeah, we’re going to get out of here too,” Alex announced.

“We are?” Michael asked.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Or we can stay here and you can keep your mental connection to Max intact.”

“I’ll drive.”

\---

Alex fiddled with the fingers of Michael’s right hand as he drove.

“You okay?” Michael asked softly.

“Are you?” Alex retorted. He looked Michael over with a careful eye. His headache seemed to be receding the further from Max’s they got but Alex wasn’t sure he should be driving. If his leg wasn’t too sore for the prosthetic he would’ve taken over but as it was he had one leg in front of him and one leg in the back seat.

“I’m fine,” Michael promised. “Just a bit tired. What about you?”

“You scared me,” Alex admitted, his eyes caught on the sight of their fingers interlinked in his lap. “I had no idea that was going to happen.”

“Neither did we. We knew there was a chance the connection would stick but we didn’t know we’d be bed ridden for a little while.”

Alex scoffed. “If you count three days as a little while.”

The truck veered off to the side of the road and stopped. Alex looked at Michael in surprise.

“We were asleep for three days?”

Alex nodded. “The first two you were in separate rooms but then you all woke up, or kind of woke up, in varying degrees of pain and we put you together. That was yesterday morning.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” Michael told him softly. “If I knew that was going to happen, I would’ve told you, I swear.”

“I know,” Alex assured him.

“I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Alex tucked a curl behind his ear and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. He’d yell at Michael for keeping his and Isobel’s plan from him later. “Let’s go home.”

Michael nodded and pulled back onto the road, his right hand still in Alex’s lap.

“I can’t believe it’s been three days,” Michael remarked after a while. “What did you all do while we were out?”

Alex shrugged. “Talked. Made sure you wouldn’t die in your sleep.” A grin spread across his face as he remembered. “Liz read you all Tolstoy.”

The truck jerked and Alex laughed. “What?” Michael looked at him. “Are you serious? Why?”

“She was reading to Max and you were cuddled up to him pretty close. Would’ve been hard for her not to read to you too.”

Michael pulled a face and grumbled under his breath.

“I’m proud of you, you know” Alex told him a little bit later. “For bringing Max back. I know you two have your issues but it was nice to see you be willing to do whatever it took to get him back.”

Michael made a noncommittal noise and Alex turned to look at him. “What?” Alex asked.

“I’m not sure I was willing to do whatever it took. There are plenty of things I wouldn’t have done to bring Max back. It just didn’t require any of those so we never got to that point.”

“What wouldn’t you have done?”

Michael glanced at him. “Anything that might’ve hurt you, for one.”

“Michael,” Alex chided. “He’s your brother.”

“Yeah, and?” Michael said. “You’re my family.” He came to a gentle stop and Alex was surprised to look out the window and see his cabin. Michael cupped his cheeks and forced Alex’s attention back to him. “If it had been you in that pod? Then I absolutely would have done whatever it took.  I would do anything and go anywhere to save you, Alex. You have to know that by now.”

Alex could only nod. He did know that, he did. But it was something else entirely to hear Michael say it out loud. He opened his mouth to respond but no words came. The only thing he could do was lean forward and press his lips to Michael’s. It was a soft kiss, slow by their standards, both just content to be close to each other. Eventually, Michael pulled away.

“I really really hate to ruin the moment-”

Alex groaned and pulled back, prepared for some inane comment.

“ _ But _ ,” Michael continued, poking at Alex’s chest lightly, “I’m surprisingly tired and I don’t think either one of us has showered in like four days.”

Alex sniffed his shirt and winced. “Okay, fine. Shower and bed.”

Michael’s face split wide. “How domestic of us.”


End file.
